extremely rare carved ivory masango sculpture depicting a standing female figure. This type of artifacts, loaded with important mystical-magical values, are very rare. They are usually classified within two stylistic categories mainly linked to the different geometrization of the volumes of their anatomical parts. This piece, identified by the spherical shape of the head, is part of the so called "round head style” group or "Bibendum style" group according to the definition chosen by De Grunne. For comparative examples see Sothebys NYC, 11 May 2012, lot n ° 201, or Sothebys Paris, 02 December 2015, lot n ° 19
Provenance: Italian private collection and previously from the collection of a well-known French industrialist who - according to what he stated, had come to him by donation from the famous explorer Luigi Amedeo di Savoia-Aosta (1873-1933) who had collected them in situ at the end of the '20s.